Sudan-Map

On 15 April 2023, fighting erupted in Khartoum between the SAF and the RSF, quickly spreading across the country. 1 The conflict has since fragmented Sudan around shifting frontlines mainly opposing the SAF and the RSF, building on inter-community grievances between Arabic-speaking Muslims (70 % of Sudan’s population), Furs, Masalit, Zaghawa, and other groups. Other armed groups are also involved in the fighting: In Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the Sudan Liberation Army Minni Minawi (SLA/MM) and Malik Agar’s faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-N Malik Agar) have aligned with SAF, while SLA Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) is allied with RSF, notably for the gold trade. SPLM-N al-Hilu defends territories in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan against SAF, and the Third Front-Tamazuj is present near Chad and the Central African Republic. The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) controls part of the disputed territory of Abyei (see map, Figure 1).